Lesser Stag Beetle

Dorcus parallelipipedus

The Lesser Stag Beetle is a small, shiny beetle with big jaws that look like antlers! They are often found in gardens and forests, and they love to munch on decaying wood.

Hábitat: Forests

Aspecto

The Lesser Stag Beetle is a medium-sized, dark brown to black beetle with a distinctly flattened body. Its wing cases have fine ridges, and males have smaller, less imposing mandibles compared to larger stag beetle relatives, making them appear more proportionate to their head.

ReinoAnimaliaFiloArthropodaClaseInsectaOrdenColeopteraFamiliaLucanidaeGéneroDorcus

Lesser Stag Beetle

Categoría

Insectos

Rareza

Common

Peligro

1/5 · Muy bajo

Snaps

¡Sé la primera persona en hacer un snap!

Datos interesantes

Even with powerful jaws, Lesser Stag Beetles are completely harmless to humans.

Males 'wrestle' with each other using their mandibles to impress nearby females!

Their larvae live inside rotting wood for up to two years before becoming adults!

These beetles are nature's recyclers, turning dead trees into new soil!

Habilidades especiales

Lesser Stag Beetle larvae can digest tough, decaying wood because of specialized gut microbes, helping them grow and recycle nutrients.

Male Lesser Stag Beetles have strong mandibles that help them engage in harmless wrestling contests to win over females.

Lesser Stag Beetles have a robust exoskeleton for protection, while wings help them fly to find mates and food.

Medidas y detalles

Envergadura: 25-60 mm
Tamaño: 18-32 mm
Esperanza de vida: 30-90 días
Velocidad de vuelo: 5 km/h
Cantidad de patas: 6

Dieta y alimentación

Larvae eat decaying wood; adults sip tree sap from injured trees or ripe fruit.

Diferencias por edad: Larvae consume rotting wood, while adults feed on nutrient-rich tree sap and fruit.

Alimentos principales

Decaying wood
Tree sap
Fungi
Overripe fruit

Método de búsqueda

Foraging

Conexiones ecológicas

eats

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos major

Preys on larvae and adult beetles.

eats

European Hedgehog

Erinaceus europaeus

Forages for beetles on the ground at night.

depends on

Pedunculate Oak

Quercus robur

Larvae feed on its decaying wood.

Rasgos

Solitario

Los animales solitarios viven solos durante la mayor parte de su vida y solo interactúan con otros para aparearse o cuidar de sus crías.

Con astas

El término con astas describe animales que poseen astas, que son crecimientos óseos y ramificados que se encuentran predominantemente en ciervos machos y especies relacionadas.